The best navigation for Long Motorcycle trip - GPS or Paper Map?

GPS or paper map, what should I take on a long motorcycle trip?

That is really nice question. I have very simple answer, but before that let’s discus the pros and the cons of the competitors.

Let’s start with the GPS.

PROS:

Absolutely great device! It has so much information that we cannot really imagine to travel without it.

1. More information.
Even the simple and cheap models, like this Garmin for example, is much better than hundreds of paper maps and has more information in. You can play with the menus all day long and almost everything you need. Addresses, hotels, restaurants, attractions, garages, galleries and many more. Especially when you riding in big cities. They are just brilliant!

2. Easy to use.
It is so easy to use that even 5 years old kid or 80 years old biker, who refuse any technologies, will be fine after couple of minutes. You don’t need to know anything about road planning, about the navigation, compasses, or so on. Choose the destination, press the big button and follow the instructions. Once you have done it, it is almost impossible to go back to the old paper maps.

3. You can use it while you riding.
Or even better, you can connect it with your Bluetooth device and lessen the instructions. Which is great because all of your attention will be on the riding. It is very convenient and much safer.

4. Easy and cheap to upgrade.
You can download any map on the half of the price of the same in paper variant. More detailed cards and of course the biggest plus is that you can have many, actually hundreds of maps in one device. You can switch from map to map with just few clicks, even while you riding.

5. Traffic information and calculations.
All new models will update the traffic information and will find the best possible road for you. They will calculate everything and will show you all important numbers. Km, hours per day. Average, constant and top speeds. Estimated riding hours or arrival time. All of that information could be priceless. Specially if you fighting with the time. Actually I can’t find any other device to have so many cons when you are travelling. There are many more, but I think that these are enough.


Paper maps.

PROS

Actually guys I can point you only two real pros of the paper maps, but for me they are more than enough.

1. And the most important is to get bearing.
Preparation is the key of success. With paper map you can see everything. You will know, where is North, East, South or West. You will know the cities on and next to the road. Rivers, mountains, important points and many more. Even if you lose it, you can close your eyes and still remember many details of the map. The reason of that is because you will check it so many times during the trip that finally, without even notice you will almost duplicate the most important towns and roads. I don’t know for you, but I always prepare the actual road before the trip. I sit at home with big marker in the hand and draw exactly where I will go. This is a real pleasure for me and help me to memorize the most important points.

2. The price.
Good map cost about 10-15 euro. Even if you need 5 it will be still cheaper than GPS and you can keep it after that, if it’s still in one piece. You can give it to somebody if he need to go exactly on the same track.

So guys I talk so much and I did not answer the question, GPS or paper map? I thought that it is obvious – Both. The GPS will guide you all the time, but the map is the one to help you when you really need it.

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